Settle oil dispute peacefully

The escalation of tension between Sudan and its newly independent neighbor South Sudan has showed no sign of easing this week, feueling deep concern among the international community.Both sides should exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from making reckless moves. Khartoum and Juba should understand it serves neither side’s interests if a full-scale war breaks out between them.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday strongly condemned the recent aerial bombardments in South Sudan by t

April 27, 2012

Dark clouds over Europe

Whether center-right Nicolas Sarkozy or socialist Francois Hollande is elected in the French presidential run-off, the outlook for the nation does not look promising. Neither has enthused the electorate, as indicated in their first-round vote which was less than the 30 percent total cast against them by right- and left-leaning voters. But what either of them will be forced to do to win on May 6 is of interest well beyond Europe ― and that is worrying. Both look beholden to voters of the extreme

April 27, 2012

Companies that help Iran, Syria spy on citizens

The evidence forms a high stack. U.S., European and other companies are selling technologies that enable the repressive Iranian and Syrian regimes to disrupt and monitor the Internet and track down government critics, as documented in media reports, notably by Bloomberg News. On Monday, President Barack Obama acted. He issued an executive order giving the treasury secretary the power to sanction individuals and companies that provide goods or services that can be used for such purposes. Those wi

April 26, 2012

Can Hollywood help China’s silver screen shine?

If films are vehicles for China’s soft power, can they be produced on a conveyor belt like the real thing, with the help of some expertise from Hollywood?This appears to be the hope after Walt Disney and Marvel Studios announced they have partnered with Beijing-based DMG Entertainment to produce Iron Man III, set to appear in a theater near you in May 2013.The reported $1 billion investment in the future of film “will bring Chinese elements to the international film market, and Chinese culture w

April 26, 2012

Literature and the gift of words to the needy

In this age of Kindle and iPad and e-books, I write by hand, on little notepads, in my car.I have written in my car since I was 22 and working on my first novel. Then, the car was a broken-down pale green Fiat. I sat in the driver’s seat while my then-husband worked on it in our gravel driveway, yelling at me to pump the brakes or start the engine. Now I write in my 2009 Honda CRV while waiting in the high school parking lot for my youngest, or even at the curb in front of my house ― the way Ray

April 26, 2012

Korea, U.S. work together for the future of Afghans

To a newcomer, Afghanistan initially appears as a land of unforgiving mountains, harsh deserts and a fierce tribal society, but after serving there one also sees its staggering beauty, and the kindness of a long suffering people. In Parwan Province, the snowy Hindu Kush Mountains look down upon Charikar, an historic city where the markets are filled with grapes, almonds, apples and other produce from the surrounding Shomali Plain. This area is home to the Korea Provincial Reconstruction Team and

April 26, 2012

Reason why support for Afghan war has crumbled

American support for the Afghan war has collapsed. Several new surveys show that even most Republicans, from the party that is home to the nation’s hawks, now oppose the 10-year-old conflict. And it’s no wonder. The United States military has been deceiving the nation for years.Listen to Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, who spent the last year working in Afghanistan.“I covered more than 9,000 miles and talked, traveled and patrolled with troops” across the nation, he wrote in the Armed Forces Journal

April 25, 2012

Who will rule the world in the next century?

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts ― Voices of both those convinced that China will eclipse the U.S. as a global economic and military power and those who are confident of continued U.S. leadership are getting louder. Much of this debate focuses on the size of the Chinese economy relative to the U.S. economy or issues of military might.But what matters for global leadership is innovation, which is not only the key driver of per capita income growth but also ultimately the main determinant of military and

April 25, 2012

Patriotism, the Korean way

Koreans are among the most patriotic people in the world. Their love for their country is unequalled. Outside being hard working, everything that they have achieved so far was spurred by an undying love for their country and the sheer zeal to place their country on the world map. Such attitudes deserve paean and fete.Recently, during the just-concluded nuclear summit in Seoul, Koreans showed their devotion and love for their national cause when they cancelled a proposed demonstration that was su

April 25, 2012

Why an open primary?

After reading The Korea Herald editorial, “Starting presidential race,” appearing on April 23, I became even more concerned about Korea’s future. What has happened to Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Moon-soo?It isn’t like Gov. Kim is new to politics. He has had a long political career, so he knows how the political process works. He understands how his actions are going to impact the upcoming presidential elections, so why is he advocating an open primary system in Korea? Could he be a Democratic Uni

April 25, 2012

Asia’s arms race puts everyone on edge

Global tension is reaching fever pitch.Yesterday India displayed its defence prowess by successfully test firing a new long-range missile. It demonstrated that the country has joined the league of nuclear powerhouses.“This launch has given a message to the entire world that India has the capability to design, develop, build and manufacture missiles of this class, and we are today a missile power,” said VK Saraswat, head of India’s Defence Research and Development Organization, which developed an

April 24, 2012

North Korea’s threat of ‘special actions’

We are approaching a dangerous precipice in South and North Korea relations. The North says that it is preparing for “special actions” to take place. There should always be a degree of skepticism, but in lieu of their failed rocket launch and Kim Jong-un’s rise to power, most likely there will be yet another provocative and aggressive action. Yet, another aggressive action is not so insignificant this time. Many South Koreans who live in Seoul, not far from certain destruction if a war were to s

April 24, 2012

Punishing N. Korea’s people

North Korea is threatening “retaliatory measures” for a decision by the United States to withhold 240,000 metric tons of food promised as part of an agreement announced less than two months ago. Never mind that the cancellation followed Pyongyang’s failed launching of a missile designed to put a satellite into space, an operation the U.S. considered a violation of that same agreement, not to mention U.N. Security Council resolutions. The regime’s chutzpah and hypocrisy know no bounds.At the same

April 24, 2012

An India-Pakistan thaw?

NEW DELHI ― India and Pakistan are enjoying one of the better periods in their turbulent relationship. Recent months have witnessed no terrorist incidents, no escalating rhetoric, and no diplomatic flashpoints. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari just made a successful, if brief, personal visit to India (mainly to visit a famous shrine, but with a lunch with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thrown in). Sixteen years after India granted Pakistan most-favored-nation (MFN) trading status, Pakistan is

April 24, 2012